Tories back Cameron's EU referendum pledge

Prime Minister David Cameron's attempt to make a referendum on Britain's European Union membership legally-binding passed its first hurdle when his Conservative Party won a vote on the issue in parliament.

British politicians supported a bill that legislates for an EU referendum by the end of 2017 by 304 votes to zero.

The bill is seen as a way to convince eurosceptic Britons before a 2015 election that Mr Cameron will give them an in/out EU vote.